The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-03-12

| definition is attempted, it is usually so
| loose and indefinite that no exact mean
ing can be drawn from it. Only this
one thing must always be nOticed-that
the word must not have any correlation
with the supernatural Or miraculous
A discussion has lately been held in
the columns of THE UNIvERsALIsT, in
relation to God, nature, the universe,
miracle, creation, the supernatural and
many other matters ''t0O numerous to
| mention" Without attempting or in
truding any interference, it may not be
out of place to offer remarks on the
general subject, and look over some of
the positions assumed. On the one
side, 1t is thought that creation is the
work Of eternity, proceeding from "an
unbegun past;" on the other, that it
began. Possibly there may be sound
ness, as well as error in thought or in
reasoning, on both sides. With many
of the old philosophers, both agree that
nothing can be created out Of nothing.
Persiu5 and Lucretius have embodied
the same thought in Latin verse. The
one calls it gignj, generated the other
feri, made. But the latter thinks also
that nothing ever can be divinely gen
Grated out of nothing. Be that as it
may, it seems clear that both of these
writers have assumed positions which
throw them back upon the Old ground of
creation out of nothing. But it is well to
pause here. This very maxim of the
old philosophers may be q bugbear of
the imagination, rather than a self-evi-
dent truth, especially as understood by
the ancients-b being from non-being.
Let us then spread ourselves a little,
like a setting partridge, and cover in
thought the whole ground, if we can.
But, remember, it is all theory, yet it
may be just as near the truth as any
other theory ever issued, involving in
fnity. Let us suppose, then, that back
in the infinite cycles of the "unbegun
past" there was space and God, space
and mind, space seems the inevitable
cOncOmitant, and the theater of active
being. There God was net idle, not
quiescent, but in eternal activity in the
processes of ey0lutiOn-(a better word
than creati0n). The product of these
evolving processes was first, perhaps,
an infinitely attenuated area or ether,
all life-like with countless v0rtices in
active movement. OF these evolving
processes the terse and graphic words
of the Psalmist, seems an accurate de-
scription. HE spake, and it was done
he commanded and it stood fast. But
the cause and the consequence 50 closely
joined in words, must have occupied
ages in the processes of evolution. The
vortex movement of scientists, became
condensed, at length, into substance,
stuff, nebul8. Thus, entity took the
place of non-entity, being 10as where
non-being had been, and substance came
in the place Of non-substance.
All this, too, must have been deyel-
oped before there was any universe, if
the universe means a vast system of
moving bodies rushing with inconceiv-
able velocity through space. For the
word, nature, if that word is used to
express the system of created things,
all the works of God, created beings in
cluded, there seems, at that stage of
effort to have been no use. Creation
was not yet begun; nature was not yet
erected. 1t was only after the evolu.
tion and elaboration of matter that Gre
alton began. Thus, "In the beginning
God created the heaven and the earth"
Creation, therefore, was not eternal
1t had its beginning. 1t began after
the evolution of substance. 1t was
then that divine energy was called into
action in creating worlds, systems, the
universe, nature, with all its moving
bodies and sublime arrangements.
Then, toe, time began. Time is only
a name foI measured periods of dura-
ton. There could be no time until the
heavenly bodies were set in order for its
measurement. The intervals of dura-
ton are measured off by revolving
spheres, all besides is simply dura-
duration indefinite, incomprehen-
sible, perhaps infinite. SO much on
the nature of time
Did God, before time began, dwell in
the absolute solitude of his own inde-
pendent being ? Lonesome, thus ? No,
body to see and admire, and praise his
works ? Either human and celestial
beings areabsolutely eternal, or they be-
gan to exist. If they began there
must, before that beginning, have been
an infinite duration, i'll which God. in
the immensity of space, existed and
exerted his power all alOne-not idle,
not inactive, but in the highest, the
very supreme exercise of power and
wisdom for the evolution of substance,
as material with which to build uni
verse and erect a mature"
The universe then came into being;
nature was created with all its or
deTly arrangements, and the wonderful
certainty and exaetness of its motions.